Continuing the archive — slow essays and observations from marshes, mangroves, and pondsides around the world.
№ 463 Cat food is too high in protein (30-40% vs geese's 10-20% need), too high in salt, and too low in fibre for waterfowl. It won't poison a goose that snatches a piece but it's nutritionally wrong as a regular food. Stick to formulated waterfowl feed.
Kiwi flesh is safe for geese and high in vitamin C. The fuzzy skin and the calcium-oxalate content are minor concerns - peel it, dice it, treat as an occasional fruit, no more than 1-2 times a week.
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№ 461 Geese can safely eat ripe mango flesh in moderation. The pit contains amygdalin (cyanogenic, like apple seeds and cherry pits) and the skin contains urushiol - both should be removed. Chop into pea-sized pieces; treat as an occasional fruit treat, not a staple.
Hawks can swim and have been documented doing so in the wild and on viral video. They aren't built for it - no webbed feet, less waterproof plumage than waterfowl - but they can wing-row to shore when waterlogged with a catch. Ospreys and Bald Eagles do this regularly; Red-tails and Cooper's only when desperate.
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№ 459 Geese do produce saliva, and they sometimes open the beak and let it visibly run during hot weather - this is gular panting, the avian equivalent of sweating. Persistent thick or yellow drool with swallowing difficulty is something else: usually trichomonosis (canker). Here's how to tell.
Five plants do most of the work in a duck pond - sago pondweed, wild celery, smartweed, duck potato, and wild rice. Each one feeds different parts of the duck guild. Here's how to establish them, what depth each prefers, and what to skip.
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№ 457 Wild ducks in North America start laying in March, peak in April-May, and finish broods by August. Exact timing varies by species and latitude. Here's the breeding calendar and what to expect on a backyard pond.
North American ducks migrate along four major flyways - Pacific, Central, Mississippi, and Atlantic. Most northern breeders winter in the southern US (Gulf coast, California Central Valley, Chesapeake) or Mexico. Here's the per-species pattern and the science behind it.
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№ 455 Michigan's 3,000+ miles of Great Lakes shoreline plus inland lakes and marshes host roughly 40 water bird species. Twelve cover most field sightings: Common Loon, Mute Swan, Mallard, Wood Duck, Great Blue Heron, plus seven others. Here's where and when.
Texas hosts more water bird species than any other US state - over 80 regularly occur. Sixteen cover most field sightings: Roseate Spoonbill, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Anhinga, Mottled Duck, and ten others. Coast, Hill Country wetlands, and Panhandle playas each have their own.
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№ 453 Wetlands hold some of the oldest folklore in the world - Celtic kelpies, Slavic vodyanoy, Native American thunderbirds, Japanese kappa, and dozens more. Almost every culture that lived near marsh and bog produced spirits to explain it. Here's a guided tour.
Wild ducks need four things: shallow margins for dabbling, submerged food plants, predator-proof cover, and nest cavities. Get those four into a one-acre pond and you'll have Mallards, Wood Ducks, and Hooded Mergansers within a single season.
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